


Promise

by elricsyao



Series: 31 days of whumptober [5]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Angst, Gen, Nightmares, missing/deleted scene from Facing death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:42:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26903074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elricsyao/pseuds/elricsyao
Summary: “Hey,” he tilted the boy’s head up, blue eyes shining in the dark. “I’ll always find you. No matter what. No matter long it would take, I would search the ends of the earth for you if need be.”Part of facing death universe. Missing scene/AU (You decide)Day 8 of whumtoberTheme: Where did everybody go?Prompt: Abandoned
Relationships: Edward Elric & and original male character
Series: 31 days of whumptober [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950331
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y’all! This is actually for day 8 of whumptober

Ed stared down at the sleeping boy on the bed. Ryler had been asleep for hours. He was sure that the whole experience had exhausted the small boy. He sighed, running his fingers through Ryler’s dirty blond hair.

It was nearly time, and as the time slowly passed, Ed began regretting his decision more and more. It was hard not to compare what he was about to do to Ryler with how Hohenheim left him. Ed had to remind himself that he was nothing like that bastard. 

The small boy whimpered in his sleep, brow pinching in discomfort. He must’ve been having a bad dream. Ed slid onto the bed, quietly as he could, pulling the thin sheets up to the boy’s chin. God, he was so small.

He pulled the boy into his arms, chin resting on the top of his head. Ryler instinctively curled into him, grasping his shirt tightly. Ed smiled. 

There were another ten minutes of quietness before there was a whimper. The boy’s face was again pinched in discomfort, bottom lip trembling. Ed’s heart caught in his chest. 

The boy’s whimpering only grew louder, more heartbreaking. Finally, the whimpering turned into a half sob, half wail, the boy coming awake from his cries.

The boy sobbed into his shoulder, and he rocked him back and forth. “Ryler, you’re alright. It’s ok.” He silenced him. The whimpers quieted, and he almost thought the boy was asleep if he hadn’t looked down at him and saw sleep hazed blue eyes staring up at him.

“Ed?” The boy whimpered, burying his face in Ed’s shoulder. “You’re still here.” He spoke quietly, voice cracking. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he hid his face.

“Of course, I’m still here.” Something in Ed’s chest cracked at his statement. “What was your nightmare about?”

The small boy was silent for a moment before peering up at Ed with terror a five-year-old shouldn’t have. “You left. I was alone. They took you away and never came back. Nobody would tell me what happened to you.” The boy choked on a sob. 

Heat burned behind Ed’s own eyes. 

The boy clutched him feverishly, letting him cry out his anguish. He tried to comfort the boy the best he could, but it was hard to, knowing what was coming in the next few hours.

When he was going to make Ryler’s nightmare a reality.

It felt like ages before the boy’s cries stopped, slumping like a rag doll against Ed’s chest. His fingers ran through the boy’s hair, comforting him the best he could.

“Ryler,” he said quietly, the boy looked up quietly with exhaustion in his eyes. “You know I’d never leave you to hurt you, right?”

The boy sniffled. He nodded against Ed’s chest. “But what if they do? I don’t want you to leave, but I know I won’t be able to stop it.” His voice caught.

“Hey,” he tilted the boy’s head up, blue eyes shining in the dark. “I’ll always find you. No matter what. No matter long it would take, I would search the ends of the earth for you if need be.”

“You promise?” A whisper.

“I promise. No matter what.”


End file.
